Deen TV News will provide world news and cover breaking stories during the primetime TV segment.

Faizal Sayed, CEO of Deen TV who is also the host of his own TV talk show on the channel, says the primetime TV news is in response for the demand for current affairs information from viewers.

"Deen TV tested the readership response from the website and feels that viewers are now expecting to see the news," says Faizal Sayed. "It falls in line with my global picture and news is a global matter".

"One of the the big focuses of Deen TV News is to educate and uplift people through the news and other segments". It's envisioned that in future Deen TV News could become its own 24-hour TV news channel as the channel's news operations and newsroom grows.

"I look forward to growing with Deen TV News and gaining the interest of the world through spreading global awareness of breaking news and its coverage," says Danyal Zaal.

"I believe the unique element of community notices within the news bulletin will be well-received by the public and we urge people to submit their points of interest for consideration," says Hassim Jogee, the KwaZulu-Natal regional director of Deen TV.

"This fresh, new approach will supply viewers with international, local and community news," says Hassim Jogee.

Vidi from the Times Media Group (TMG) will be launched in September in South Africa as a brand-new video-on-demand (VOD) service that will compete with MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice to provide TV shows and films to South African consumers as a commercial service.

Similar to MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice which currently charges R27, Vidi will also make use of the window between cinema showings and movies being distributed for DVD rentals.

The Afrikaans movie, Die Windpomp, will for instance be released on Vidi and DStv BoxOffice on 12 September.

Times Media Group owns TV channels like BusinessDay TV (and newspapers like Business Day, The Sunday Times and The Sowetan) and Nu Metro Cinemas.

Vidi's pricing plan and details for the on-demand video service will be revealed by Times Media on 10 September in Johannesburg. Vidi is of course Latin for "I saw".

Vidi will be an online service only, similar to DStv BoxOffice Online. Customers who will be paying per rental, will have to stream the rented video content to their computer or tablet.

With the outbreak of the deadly Ebola diseas in Africa's growing and accelerating, comes concern over the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 planned to take place in Tanzania.

To be clear: There's been no reported and confirmed cases of Ebola in Tanzania; there's been no international travel restrictions placed on visiting or leaving Tanzania, and there's no fear about travelling to Tanzania.

Health authorities in Africa and internationally are however advising caution regarding international travel in and to Africa generally with travel advisories which had been issued.

What has however been happening is that confirmed cases of Ebola, the latest outbreak of which started in West Africa, have been inching closer and closer to the East Africa country of Tanzania and others.

Confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - which is now only one country (Burundi) removed from Tanzania.

Whether Africa's most prestigious competition rewarding excellence in journalism on the continent will continue if Ebola spreads to Tanzania is not clear, nor whether the organisers have started looking at an alternative country, or would perhaps hold it in South Africa again where its logistically easiest to mount the awards show production and the education conference.

On Thursday the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is actually accelerating and that more than 3 000 people have now been infected. The WHO said that 20 000 people might become ill before this Ebola outbreak subsides.

MultiChoice and CNN International both tell TV with Thinus the pan-African satellite pay-TV platform and the international TV news channel are "monitoring the situation so as to ensure plans are adopted effectively".

Nicole Scherzinger will be heading to South Africa to perform at ANN7's inaugural South African of the Year Awards (SATY's).

The singer and TV personality will jet to South Africa to join South African artists like Lira, Mafikizolo, Zahara, MiCASA and Junior Mambazo who will all entertain an elite roster of guests as the 24-hour TV news channel announce the winners in various categories.

The South African 24-hour TV news channel run by Infinity Media on MultiChoice’s DStv satellite pay-TV platform, just turned one year old this month.

ANN7 (DStv 405) improved its ANN7 Prime flagship nightly news programme during primetime, did away with weather girls doing the weather reports and added the South African of the Year Awards campaign which lured over 500 000 votes.

The SATY's will take place on 6 September in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre, which the news channel plans to be a celebration of extraordinary South Africans which South Africans had the chance to vote for.

Winners will be announced in categories like trendsetting celebrity of the year, sportsperson of the year, business person of the year, young South African of the year and South African of the year.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

M-Net's Afrikaans language TV channel kykNET (DStv 144) is adding a brand-new late-night actuality timeslot with new programmes and presenters as a fixed new programming strand which will run on every weeknight from Monday 6 October.

From Monday 6 October viewers will be able to tune in for new actuality and magazine shows like Insig with Waldimar Pelser who is the editor of the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Rapport; while kykNET is reviving one of its first local actuality shows, the longrunning studio talk show Prontuit and is even bringing back the original presenter Mariëtta Kruger.

The new kykNET actuality timeslot is in response to viewers demanding less repeats and more regularly updated magazine and actuality programming which changes more often than other serialised and heavily repeated shows.

The new weekday actuality slot on kykNET will feature various programmes ranging from politics and economic issues to business, culture, the arts, fashion and even satire.

The increase in new Afrikaans programming on kykNET comes at the same time that the SABC moved the bulk of Afrikaans programming permanently from SABC2 to SABC3, the public broadcaster's TV channel with the smallest footprint, making several Afrikaans TV shows less accessible to millions of terrestrial TV viewers in South Africa.

In July the SABC lied and said the move of the Afrikaans TV news bulletin from SABC2 to SABC3 as well as programming was only temporary, although it had already been planned as a permanent move.

The SABC also ordered the Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2 to reduced the amount of Afrikaans.

"Our viewers' need for more relevant actuality programming was the reason behind the decision to make our available late night slots more actuality-driven, instead of repeating programmes".

"We not only want to inform and entertain, but also expand on everyday issues to stimulate conversation. This is a major move to something fresh and highly exciting – a brand new late night lineup that'll get tongues wagging on screen and across all social and other media".

Viewers were upset on Wednesday evening when kykNET (DStv 144) repeated the previous day's episode of the Afrikaans language soap Villa Rosa, as well as the previous week's episode of the Afrikaans magazine show Kwêla.

kykNET told TV with Thinus on Thursday it was due to "technical problems".

kykNET said that the proper episode of Kwêla would be played out during the repeat broadcast timeslots on Friday at 10:00 and 00:00, Saturday at 18:00, Sunday at 13:00 and Monday at 08:30.

"We apologise to viewers for the inconvenience and continue to endeavour to ensure the faultless playout of shows," says the channel.

I can exclusively reveal and break the news that Anele Mdoda is returning to a regular public television gig as the moderator of a new local TV talk show that SABC3 is adding, with Tongue in Cheek which is set to start on Tuesday 9 September at 20:30 with an emsemble panel of talkers which will include Sashi Naidoo, Michael de Pinna and socialite Carolyn Steyn.

Tongue in Cheek will be similar in style to the American TV talk shows The Talk seen on M-Net and The View which was seen on SABC3 but since its a later night, primetime talk show the topics and conversations will be more risque, often with more controversial talk, and more serious topics in between lighter discussions including entertainment and popular culture.

Recorded in an upmarket house in Johannesburg, there will be 13 episodes in the first season of Tongue in Cheek with comedian Anele Mdoda moderating the panel who will bring divergent viewpoints.

The panel will include socialite Carolyn Steyn (wife of the insurance mogul Douw Steyn), the model and TV presenter Sashi Naidoo who will do red carpet coverage and inserts as a "roving" reporter, as well as Michael de Pinna, the only male on the panel (and best-known as the leopard-skin wearing yuppie in Vodacom's TV commercials).

Tongue in Cheek will discuss one serious topic per week, but then the main feature would be about what happened in the world, then the serious topic or issues, and then more light-hearted subjects.

A local celebrity will visit Tongue in Cheek weekly to sit down with the panel to talk about health or fitness. The show is literally "tongue in cheek" and will be a bit riskier than normal talk shows - it's like what and how ladies would be discussing and talking about on a night out with girlfriends.

Tongue in Cheek will be an opinionated show with Anele Mdoda, Carolyn Steyn, Sashi Naidoo and Michael de Pinna who were selected to be from different walks of life and different background and to bring those viewpoints to the talker.

Whatever the serious topic is, there will be 13 - one for every episode - and the panel will discuss it with an expert in the field. Tongue in Cheek will also cover what's been happening on the red carpet which could see editors and journalists from entertainment magazines joining the panel.

Tongue in Cheek will close every week with a celebrity visit, the show is hoping to attract international stars to sit down with the panel who might be in South Africa or visiting the country over the next 13 weeks.

The idea of Tongue in Cheek is to be an hour long new local TV talk show, broken up into three segments being gossip, a main serious topic and then celebrity update or health and fitness. A lot of it will be deep, there might very well be clashes between the panelists and a lot of it will be controversial.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

eNCA (DStv 403), the most watched 24-hour South African TV news channel is getting an on-air facelift and visual identity revamp which will come into effect from 1 September.

eNCA is dumping the red and blue mosaic glass tiles and replacing the eNCA logo with a uniform and one dimensional turqoise African continent outline and a simplified and stripped-down "eNCA" font overlay in baby blue and red.

The on-air look and logo redesign comes with aerial cityscape backdrops to make eNCA look more "urban" and will extend to all stings and graphics. The one year old eNCA.com website will also change and do a rebrand.

"News is constantly changing because our reality is evolving," says Cecil Lyons, the head of marketing at eNCA. "The new look is contemporary and urban," says Cecil Lyons.

eNCA remains the most watched 24-hour TV news channel available in South Africa and the most watched of the three South African 24-hour TV news channels.

In an emotional speech, the iconic and highly respected South Africa actor, playwright, director and producer John Kani lashed the beleaguered SABC, calling the South African public broadcaster "an embarrassment", following the shocking sacking of the Generations cast by the SABC and Mfundi Vundla's MMSV Productions.

John Kani said the SABC and MMSV Productions is trying to "dispose the actors like diapers".

John Kani blasted the SABC and MMSV Productions, likening the SABC's actions to oppressive apartheid behaviour. "It [the firing] carries the residue of an apartheid-style master, servant relationship," he said.

"I have stab wounds, I have evaded assassination and I spent time in detention. This is not what I fought for as an actor".

The shock firing of the principal cast of South Africa's biggest TV show and the SABC's biggest cash cow making hundreds of millions per year for the broadcaster, sent shock waves though the South African TV industry with very vocal criticism continuing to build from the industry demanding reform and regulations regarding actors' contracts and fees.

The Generations cast was dismissed last Monday after a weeklong stayaway when the cast demanded the long-overdue three year contracts the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng promised them in June 2013, as well as higher pay rates, and the payment of residuals for rebroadcasts as well as international sales of the show.

The SABC wanted to pay the Generations actors R3 000 once-off in residuals for a decade of Generations rebroadcasts but the cast, organised as the Generations Actors Guild (GAG) balked.

Yesterday in Newtown at the Barney Simon theatre the Generations cast, wearing black and white, took to the stage at a press conference, supported by highly respected industry heavy-weights like John Kani's whose own son, Atandwa Kani, was fired.

"Because the conditions we work under are still master and servant, we are disposable like diapers. The problem is the change of mindset. We are equal. Overseas series and soaps don't have this problem where actors are disposable," said John Kani.

"They know that the value of the series is dependent on these individuals, actors, continuing in their artistic excellence to create these characters".

"It's very sad for me to say that I've just done a series with iNkaba with Mzansi Magic and M-Net. I was treated with incredible respect. I don't know how the SABC and MMSV Productions don't understand that. Artists - lets know what we are worth," said John Kani.

"It's arrogance, it's stupidity to think you can tell these actors in one letter you are all fired. Come on guys, we didn't struggle for this? We didn't spent our lives in the struggle so that we could be treated like we're in apartheid."

"Lets make sure no-one walks on the set of Generations. I don't care whether its the script writer, the editor, or the boom carrier, technicians. We will block the doors. We will not continue this treatment," said John Kani.

"To our union: This is the time we block the doors of Generations. This is the time we stand up and make sure that these actors are taken back".

John Kani said he is "embarrassed by the Generations salaries". "I've worked for much more money since the 70s. An average of R55 000 for Generations is working for below a slave's salary. I wouldn't work for that for a day as an on-call actor on Generations."

"Lets do something. Because if you don't do anything, Muvhango actors will be fired tomorrow, 7de Laan actors tomorrow, isiBaya tomorrow, Zabalaza tomorrow. All of them would be fired tomorrow - because we did nothing," said John Kani.

"These Generations actors don't deserve to be treated with such disrepect.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

One more highly embarrassing loss for the beleaguered SABC: The court has dismissed, with cost, the application from the South African public broadcaster to have it's TV channels pulled from Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) free-to-air satellite platform.

The South Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of Platco Digital and dismissed the SABC application with cost.

The SABC went to court to force Platco Digital to not launch and carry SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 as TV channels.

Platco Digital with its head office in Johannesburg is backed by e.tv's parent company Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), and HCI owns Sabido Investments which has a two-thirds investment in Sabido.

The SABC brought an interdict against Platco Digital to prevent Platco from carrying SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 on OVHD, or to use the SABC's brands (like channel logos) for marketing or promotional purposes of the new satellite TV service.

The SABC said that there was no agreement between the SABC and e.tv to carry and broadcast its TV channels on OpenView HD, while Platco Digital said that there is an agreement to carry and broadcast the channels.

According to Platco, it would be carrying the SABC's three TV channels for 18 months for free, after which the SABC would be charged equitable, reasonable and market related rates.

According to the court judgement of judge Moroa Tsoka, "there's no special circumstances entitling the SABC to final relief".

"OpenView HD has since its launch attracted more viewers which were unable to view SABC channels in spite of the fact that they own a TV set and by operation of the law are expected to pay a SABC licence," says the judgement.

"The granting of an interdict would harm Platco and e.tv's reputation among these viewers. Furthermore, an interdict would result in them losing these viewers and would harm their reputation to attract new viewers".

"Platco and e.tv's reputation among decoder manufacturers, decoder retailers, distributors and providers of other TV channels would be irreparably harmed. Their ability to make inroads into the broadcasting market and compete with pay-TV would also be irreparably harmed," judge Moroa Tsoka said.

The judge said the SABC failed to prove a clear right, and failed to prove that it has no alternative relief other than an interdict against Platco Digital.

According to the court, Platco Digital and e.tv in good faith also prepared a detailed written agreement addressing the SABC's concerns. "To date the SABC failed to react to the said agreement," says the judgment.

Talks will start between the Generations Actors Guild, the SABC and production company Morula Pictures at a meeting held today or tomorrow to reinstate the fired actors who were dismissed last Monday.

Minister of arts and culture Nathi Mthethwa met with the fired principal cast of the biggest TV show in South Africa and the SABC's biggest soap on Monday who sat down in an emotional meeting with the SABC management and the interim committee of the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa.

MMSV Productions and the SABC fired the Generations cast last Monday after a week long stayaway, prompted by MMSV Productions and the SABC's failure to make good on promised three year contracts the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng in June 2013 told the cast they would get.

The cast also wanted pay rate adjustments and back payments on residuals for rebroadcasts as well as international sales of the show which has not been paid.

"It is a significant step in the right direction that both the actors and the SABC have arrived at this stage where they are willing to engage in talks to find a solution to this matter," says Nathi Mthethwa.

"Everyone accepts that we are dealing with substantive issues that cannot be resolved overnight but require principled commitment and time to move us forward".

Monday, August 25, 2014

MultiChoice is bringing a new DStv decoder with high definition (HD) ability to the South African market, called DStv HD Decoder and selling for R799 with installation.

The DStv HD Decoder is manufactured in South Africa by Altech UEC in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

The DStv HD Decoder keeps with the pebble shaped form, look and a customisation of the outer shell of MultiChoice's top-line DStv Explora, but has no PVR functionality like its big brother.

The DStv HD Decoder is released in conjunction with the South African satellite pay-TV platform making more of its TV channels available in HD to lower-tiered DStv packages as HD broadcasting in Southern Africa continues to make inroads.

The DStv HD Decoder also comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and is replacing the existing DStv SD decoder.

"We recently made HD channels available to all DStv customers with the necessary HD equipment," says Mark Rayner, the chief operating officer (COO) of MultiChoice South Africa. "This decoder now makes those HD channels more accessible".

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Dramatic changes are coming to 7de Laan on SABC2 - the SABC's biggest and only predominantly Afrikaans language weekday soap - since the show is apparently too Afrikaans and not multicultural enough according to SABC executives.

The drama and upheaval behind the 14 year old Danie Odendaal Productions soap, set in the fictional Johannesburg suburb of Hillside, is the second big SABC soap set for drastic on-screen changes.

The 7de Laan shocker comes at the same time that scandal has engulfed the SABC's biggest weekday soap Generations, following a week long walk out by the principal cast over multiple remuneration and contract issues which had been simmering for months, with the SABC and Morula Pictures which fired the 16 actors this past Monday.

While 7de Laan is remaining on SABC2 - although the SABC Television division at the SABC moved the bulk of Afrikaans language programming in July from SABC2 to SABC3 which has a much smaller broadcasting footprint - a major cut in Afrikaans has been enforced and is on the cards for the soap.

SABC executives apparently also ordered production changes in the on-air cast, as well as behind the scenes because 7de Laan is apparently not multicultural enough.

SABC executives apparently ordered a dramatic cut to specifically Afrikaans in 7de Laan, by possibly as much as 80%.

Besides the cut to specifically the amount of of Afrikaans heard in the popular soap, Danie Odendaal Productions apparently also has to appoint more "non-white" actors to appear on screen in the soap who will not be speaking Afrikaans while subtitles will remain in English only, appoint more "black" crew and creative staff instead of "white" directors and writers, as well as a "black" consultant to advise on storylines.

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries made on Friday and Saturday seeking comment about the show and the changes ordered.

A spokesperson for Danie Odendaal Productions on Friday told TV with Thinus that Danie Odendaal is unable to speak immediately.

7de Laan had a weekday audience of 1.9 million viewers on SABC2 which has been falling. Latest ratings indicate 1.6 million tuning in.

The falling viewership could possibly be attributed to the fact that ancillary programming in Afrikaans or targeting the same audience as 7de Laan - around the show and serving as lead-in and lead-out programming - no longer exist.

7de Laan has a harder time grabbing and capturing viewers and holding on to those viewers since they're already watching shows on other channels with little incentive programming to pull them and keep them on SABC2 from before, and following after, the soap.

A television industry insider not connected to the show, the past week called 7de Laan a place where "the rats are jumping ship".

Verna Vels - creator of the iconic South African television characters Liewe Heksie ("Dear Witchy") and Bennie Boekwurm (Benny Bookworm) who became the SABC's and South African television's first female programming director has died after a battle with cancer. She was 81.

Afrikaans radio station RSG first reported the death of Verna Vels this morning.

Verna Vels died in her sleep last night, whilst battling cancer, diagnosed in December 2013.

Before her death Verna Vels, born Verna Barbara Robertson Vels on 13 June 1933, also worked as a script editor and director at the SABC2 Afrikaans soap 7de Laan, produced by Danie Odendaal Productions and was involved with the soap from its inception.

Verna Vels started working as a radio presenter at the SABC's office in Durban in 1954 and in 1963 she transferred to Auckland Park.

In 1974 as the SABC geared up to launch a TV service and TV1, Verna Vels was appointed to organise the creation of Afrikaans children's TV content at the public broadcaster and under her guidance long running shows like Kraaines, Wielie-Walie and Liewe Heksie were created.

Verna Vels was appointed as the first female programming director of TV1, the then biggest TV channel of the SABC and the highest position a woman held in television broadcasting in South Africa at the time.

She retired from the South African public broadcaster after serving 39 years in 1993.

Verna Vels' most iconic legacy to South African television will however be the creation of the beloved children's show Liewe Heksie - 52 episodes in 1976 - which has seen numerous rebroadcasts over three decades on many TV channels and delighted generation after generation of South African viewers.

Verna Vels also created the character of Bennie Boekwurm on TV1's Wielie-Walie - like Liewe Heksie also actually a radio creation from Siembamba - which she migrated to television.

Verna Vels was the voices of Liewe Heksie, Blommie, Matewis the cat as well as Bennie Boekwurm.

She died in her home in Brixton, Johannesburg after she was diagnosed with cancer in December 2013, and kept visiting the Lonehill set of 7de Laan twice a week as one of the supervising directors, even after starting chemotheraphy. She kept working until May this year.

The SABC paid tribute today to Verna Vels, saying she "played a critical role in the development and execution of programmes at the SABC" and that the SABC "learnt with sadness the passing of Verna Vels who was a respected television and radio personality".

"The SABC board and management on behalf of the corporation send its condolences and prayers to the Vels family during this difficult time".

"Verna's passing is an indescribable loss to us," says Danie Odendaal in a statement. "Her presence, judgement and creative input will be sorely missed", with Daniel Odendaal and Annie Basson calling Verna Vels not "only a much appreciated colleague but also a friend through several decades".

"Her cheerfulness and humour, courage,
intelligence and indomitable spirit was a constant source of inspiration for
cast and crew, young and old"

"When she was on set all of us had to mind our p's and q's, but there
was also heaps of fun and laughter, and lots of strong Douwe Egberts coffee
shared".

Duelling press conferences are planned in the growing scandal swirling around the beleaguered SABC and Morula Pictures (MMSV Productions) which fired the Generations cast on Monday - with the SABC holding a press conference today at 11:00 and the Generations Actors Guild holding a press conference on Monday.

The SABC and MMSV Productions which fired the Generations principal cast on Monday after striking, is holding a press conference today at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters from 11:00 to 12:30 in the Ground Floor Auditorium (using Radio Park entrance 4).

The SABC and Morula Pictures says it wants to "set the record straight" around "issues" pertaining to Generations. It follows after anger and a public backlash has been building against the SABC and Morula Pictures following the firing from the public, actors and the South African TV industry.

The Generations Actors Guild is holding their own press conference on Monday, 25 August at 14:00 at the Market Theatre's Barney Simon Theatre in Newtown.

"The Generations Actors Guild notes with interest that MMSV Productions and the SABC are holding a press conference to 'clear the air' around the dismissal of the 16 members of the Generations cast".

"The Guild also notes with dismay that the SABC and MMSV Productions have been on a campaign of communicating misinformation about salaries and rates that the cast allegedly earns".

"These claims are a blatant untruth, and the guild recognises them for what they are - a petty tactic to turn the public against the cast and paint them as opportunistic, greedy and overpaid."

'Equally concerning is the fact that their erstwhile employers deem it appropriate to reveal salaries - even as they are a complete fabrication. As an action,it is unethical and totally inappropriate".

"The members of the Generations Actors Guild will hold a press conference where they will speak to the issues and provide a proper and true context of their working conditions and issues that led them to this point," says the guild.

The same however couldn't be said for the eye-popping lack of almost any coverage and lack of rolling real-time coverage and analysis on DStv's rival 24-hour TV news channels: SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405).

It was as if eNCA was covering one South Africa in one parallel universe, with SABC News and ANN7 covering (or not covering) a whole other South Africa.

Ironically ANN7 celebrates its first birthday today, but shockingly left viewers scrathing their heads in early primetime as to where the coverage of breaking news was. SABC News and ANN7 both paled in comparison when it came to doing and giving TV news viewers the most fundamental thing they want: the news as it is happening.

As DStv subscribers flicked between the three TV news channels in the early evening for coverage, eNCA had instant interviews with politicians from all of the political parties straight from parliament and live on air, studio analysis from experts, rush reports, as well as can't-look-away sensational video footage.

eNCA even played the parliamentary proceedings leading up to the EFF disruption of the National Assembly several times to give viewers the undiluted context and background.

eNCA's Paula Chowles and Lester Kiewit were astounding in their reporting and interviewing and real-time online and social media content generation. With little time to think, they were on the scene and kept reporting - brilliantly so.

eNCA's interview with Julius Malema done by Paula Chowles was riveting and exceptional television - she didn't interrupt him, and Julius Malema stayed on point and did what was probably his best live TV interview ever.

The rest, well, on South African television news there wasn't really a rest.

SABC News sat comfy under the warm spotlights in the Auckland Park studio at the same time and ran a pre-recorded profile piece on an African Bank founder.

SABC Television News couldn't get itself to break away to cover the real big news of the moment - not even from the studio. There was no real-time rolling news coverage. SABC News kept playing its Question Time (irrelevant!) and other programming and inserts, instead of switching to rolling news and giving South African the news.

ANN7 at the same time did high-gloss soft coverage about its South African of the Year campaign.

ANN7 also failed to break away to rolling news coverage to cover the real big news of the moment, and stuck to running a pre-recorded programme with Chantal Rutter-Dros moderating a women's panel of nominees.

It was shocking and eye-opening to watch eNCA, SABC News and ANN7 lined-up alongside each other and to see only one of the three South African 24-hour TV news channels doing ... live, real, relevant, news.

Later during South African primetime ANN7 eventually got to rolling news coverage, live reporting, as well as analysis.

If you watched only SABC News, a viewer wouldn't have gotten any sense of the scope, impact and magnitude of what happened today in South Africa and in parliament with very little coverage compared to eNCA and (belatedly) ANN7.

Later SABC News did as little as possible with blatant skewed coverage, censorship, pandering questions to make the EFF look bad, a shocking absence of SABC News reporting from Cape Town, and no coverage at all of the highly embarrassing way the speaker of parliament Baleka Mbete was inept and pathetic today.

The shocking and stark difference in the real, in-time news coverage for serious South African breaking news - and the lack thereof - raises questions about whether the SABC's SABC News channel and Infinity Media's ANN7 are self-censoring, or whether the issue is the inability to mobilise to cover news when it breaks.

Or, is it perhaps not self-censorship but more an issue regarding the unwillingness of channel and programming bosses to jettison pre-planned programming for actual real and live news coverage when news breaks, or the lack of resources to be able to do rolling news coverage when something big happens?

Also, for a 24-hour TV news channel, to wait with the news, or big news, makes no sense. eNCA dove into it and stayed with it the whole time. SABC News seemingly couldn't care less or cope. ANN7 eventually got to it but came across as wanting the big news to fit for ANN7 Prime. Sadly news doesn't wait or work that way.

The best thing a TV news channel like an eNCA, a SABC News or a ANN7 can do to build its brand, to build its credibility and to build its reputation as "oh, news is happening, where do I tune to for it?" is to cover real news, and to cover real news consistently, whenever it happens.

If not, your TV news channel becomes a "nice, but not necessary" news source - a soft, infotainment, educational but not crucial, place where viewers won't be turning to first, if at all, to get the news.

If you want to be in the news business (as a TV news channel), really only just one rule actually applies: Do the news.

MultiChoice's Parliamentary TV channel (DStv 408) on DStv first cut the audio to silence the channel and then cut the camera and visuals to prevent DStv subscribers from seeing what is happening inside South Africa's democratic parliament, while reporters were forcibly removed.

Chaos erupted when EFF political party members started shouting "Pay back the money!" when president Jacob Zuma refused to answer a question from EFF party leader Julius Malema on when he will be paying back the money spent on the highly controversial Nkandla upgrades.

First audio and then visuals on the Parliamentary service to South Africa's National Assembly then got cut.

MultiChoice on Thursday didn't respond to media enquiries as to why DStv's Parliamentary TV went off the air.

Journalists started reporting that the press were being forcibly removed from parliament and evicted from the media gallery against their wishes.

Several press members were adamant that they will not be leaving parliament and refused to leave the press gallery to bear witness to the events and the stand-off between the EFF and police members inside the National Assembly.

Meanwhile the South African Police Service with riot gear are barring democratically elected members of parliament (MPs) from various political parties from entering the National Assembly, calling it "a police scene".

At 16:00 the media and press were told they can now stay. eNCA's Paula Chowles and Lester Kiewit are still inside parliament.

At 16:11 the Parliamentary TV channel on DStv went live again. Still no explanation as to why the feed to DStv subscribers were unilaterally cut.

Cosatu is blasting the beleaguered SABC for the SABC's "indecisive intervention" for failing to do anything in 10 months about the Generations cast's pleas who were fired on Monday, and says it is "dismayed" by MMSV Productions.

The trade federation in a statement condemns the shocking actions of the SABC and MMSV Productions who on Monday fired the Generations cast on SABC1 following a second strike the united actors embarked on.

The dismissal of the principal Generations cast has sent shockwaves through South Africa's television industry.

Generations ranks as the most watched TV show in South Africa with an average of 7.5 million viewers every weeknight, is the most watched soap, the most lucrative TV show of the SABC and commands a price of R200 000 per 30 second ad spot during its 20:00 primetime timeslot.

It was the Generations cast's second strike in 10 months at the SABC1 soap over exactly the same issues of wanting three year contracts from the SABC as it was promised in 2013, better paying contracts, as well as back payment for rebroadcasts and international sales of the show - all issues that the SABC promised to give attention but failed to do.

The federation said it was dismayed by the attitude of the production company MMSV Productions.

"The federation urges the actors to work with them [SABC and production company] to reach an acceptable settlement, get their jobs back, continue to entertain their millions of fans, and create a precedent for all actors to be treated with respect," says Patrick Craven, Cosatu spokesperson in a statement.

The Generations cast was fired on Monday by the SABC and MMSV Productions following a second strike the united actors embarked on since last Monday.

The dismissal of the principal Generations cast has sent shockwaves through South Africa's television industry.

Generations ranks as the most watched TV show in South Africa with an average of 7.5 million viewers every weeknight, is the most watched soap, the most lucrative TV show of the SABC and commands a price of R200 000 per 30 second ad spot during its 20:00 primetime timeslot.

It was the Generations cast's second strike in 10 months at the SABC1 soap over exactly the same issues of wanting three year contracts from the SABC as it was promised in 2013, better paying contracts, as well as back payment for rebroadcasts and international sales of the show - all issues that the SABC promised to give attention but failed to do.

Today the government said the minister of arts and culture will get involved, making it the third minister giving attention to the Generations cast firing.

requested the intervention of the ministers of communications and labour in the dispute," says ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa in a statement.

"We are willing to engage with all the relevant people to help find a speedy and amicable resolution to this matter," says Nathi Mthethwa in a statement.

"We are deeply concerned about these developments and hope that SABC management, the production company and worker representatives will work together to reach a speedy resolution to this matter".

Nathi Mthethwa says the government supports the formation of a strong creative workers' representative body to look after the interests of artists in South Africa.

Meanwhile the SABC plans to have a press conference on Friday at 11:00 at its Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg to give the public broadcaster's talking points after firing the Generations cast.

The fired principal Generations cast who got dismissed by the SABC and MMSV Productions on Monday after walking off the set due to the SABC's failure in 10 months to do good on the promised three year contracts, better pay rates and back payment for rebroadcasts of the show, is speaking out, saying "a great deal of effort has been put into painting us as greedy actors who want to lead extravagant lifestyles".

"Nothing could be further from the truth. This is about our livelihoods, not a lifestyle," says the Generations Actors Guild.

"We are fighting for industry conditions that are recognised as international best practice in the creative industry and economy. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support, and look forward to a resolution to this lamentable situation".

The principal cast that has now banded together as the Generations Actors Guild first went on strike in October 2013 for weeks after being coaxed back to work by the SABC with promises that the situation will be rectified.

In November the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who personally intervened, in a statement announced that "this matter has finally been laid to rest".

It clearly wasn't. The Generations actors asked the SABC for the three year contracts promised to them personally by Hlaudi Motsoeneng in June 2013 instead of of the one year renewals, higher pay rates, as well as back payments for rebroadcasts and repeats, and payments for sales and international sales of the lucrative and popular soap to other TV channels as well as broadcasters in Africa.

On Monday the SABC and MMSVp Productions fired the massive principal cast on South Africa's most watched TV show which is also the most watched overall TV programme on South African television and the most watched soap.

Generations has an average weeknight audience of 7.5 million which commands R200 000 per 30 second ad spot and earns hundreds of millions of rands per year for the public broadcaster.

Since then the public backlash against the SABC and MMSV Productions have been growing, with anger from South African celebrities, actors, presenters and three South African ministers who've decided to get involved.

"Embarking on this action was a difficult decision for all of us, but in light of the events that transpired, we really didn't see any other option available to us," says the Generations Actors Guild.

"We have always been clear that we wanted an open dialogue, but sadly this hasn't been forthcoming".

"It is extremely encouraging therefore to receive such an outpouring of support from fans, fellow workers and various industry and political organisations," says the Generations Actors Guild.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

e.tv will debut the free-to-air channel's first-ever Afrikaans music magazine show, Musiek Musiek, on Wednesday 10 September at 20:00, ready to lure Afrikaans and other viewers after the SABC made several Afrikaans language TV programmes less accessible by moving it from SABC2 to SABC3 which has a much smaller national footprint.

Musiek Musiek with presenters Eagan Williamson and Tina Meissenheimer will broadcast on e.tv from 10 September at 20:00.

Besides other Afrikaans programming, the SABC moved the Afrikaans magazine show Pasella from Wednesdays at 19:30 permanently from 14 July to the smaller SABC3 where millions fewer analogue viewers can see it.

Now those Afrikaans viewers can watch Musiek Musiek on e.tv on Wednesday in roughly the same timeslot.

Musiek Musiek as e.tv's first ever Afrikaans music magazine show and produced by Media World, will explore the Afrikaans music world with interviews with the hottest Afrikaans singers and artists, looking at how music videos are made, as well as a Golden Oldies segment playing classic Afrikaans music videos.

e.tv says the channel is proud to launch its very first Afrikaans music magazine show on the chanel.

"This is all part of an ongoing effort to ensure that we service our diverse audience base and ensure that we remain the entertainment destination of choice for all South Africans," says Monde Twala, e.tv's managing director.

"There is something for everyone in Musiek Musiek right from the golden oldies to the latest and cutting edge youth music," says Monde Twala.

It's the 22-year old Tina Meissenheimer's first TV presenting work, who will talk with in-studio guests as singers share their knowledge and experiences of the music industry and the stories that led to their success.

Eagan Williamson who've appeared on kykNET's Glitterati and Tonge Los will share gossip and news from the Afrikaans music scene, music industry news, latest song and album releases and attend live events.

"I am honoured to be a part of such an amazing new project for e.tv, especially since it is their first Afrikaans show," says Eagan Williamson. "I honestly believe that all South Africans will enjoy the show tremendously and that the Afrikaans music industry would welcome Musiek Musiek into their homes and hearts".

The upcoming 9th season of Big Brother Africa, produced by M-Net for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform across the continent, will be entitled Big Brother Africa Hotshots.

Big Brother Africa Hotshots will start on Sunday 7 September at 20:00, with two dedicated TV channels on DStv - channels 197 and 198, and summary programmes will also be broadcast on M-Net's AfricaMagic channels.

The 9th season of the show which remains a driver for the uptake of DStv subscriptions across Africa, will run for 91 days.

Endemol South Africa which again produces the show had to dump the selected contestants from Ghana - not over Ebola fears but because of South Africa's restrictive new visa regulations - and is replacing them with people from Ghana already living in South Africa.

The winner of Big Brother Africa Hotshots will get $300 000.

"We work hard to make each season of Big Brother Africa bigger than the last - and we've really upped the ante this year," says Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, M-Net Africa's regional director for West Africa.

The housemate contestants will start the new season of the voyeur format reality show in two glamorous houses and will have to "outshine" each other according to the producers.

Joan Rivers unexpectedly became emotional right at the end of the latest episode of her weekly Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) when she did a tribute to the late Robin Williams before the credits rolled.

It suddenly became clear why Joan Rivers was wearing black on her popular weekly fashion take-down show where she rips into celebrities without fear or favour.

"Before we go I just want to say all of us truly lost a friend, a man. So I would like to dedicate today's show, just the funny ones that worked, the jokes that landed, to the one and the only Robin Williams," said Joan Rivers who became visibly sad as her voice faltered.

The show cut to three photos of Robin Williams against a black screen- one of them in which Robin Williams and Joan Rivers stood together - and then "Robin Williams: 1951 - 2014" before the credits rolled.

The Western Cape High Court was asked to order the suspension of the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (Hlaudi Motsoeneng) because he is a "toxic element" who lied about his qualifications.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party on Tuesday asked the Western Cape High Court for an urgent interim interdict for the removal of the controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng from the SABC.

Despite the scathing report from the Public Protector released in February implicating Hlaudi Motsoeneng in maladministration at the SABC as well as a recorded interview in which he admitted about lying about having a matric and having "made up symbols" for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce, the recalcitrant SABC has not sanctioned, suspended or acted against Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng is implicated in the Public Protector's report in his massive salary increase from R1.5 million to R2.4 million in just one year, and that he was involved in the firing of every single person who testified against him at a previous SABC disciplinary hearing.

The SABC's chairperson, Ellen Tshabalala who also has questions swirling about her post graduate qualifications, in court documents says the SABC knew that Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't have a matric.

Yet Hlaudi Motsoeneng's application form at the SABC clearly shows that SABC personnel wrote that a matric certificate is still outstanding, as well as symbols filled-in for a matric certificate.

In court papers Ellen Tshabalala says Hlaudi Motsoeneng is not dishonest, had never misled the SABC has not been responsible for irregular spending.

Lawyer Anton Katz for the DA political party told the court that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is "a toxic element running through that organisation" and said that it is urgent that he be removed from the SABC.

Anton Katz said that SABC employees are scared of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The application for an urgent interdict to remove Hlaudi Motsoeneng focused on his alleged "unlawful" appointment as COO at the SABC by the SABC board.

Outside the front entrance of the Western Cape High Court some members of the Ses'Khona People's Rights Movement were toyi-toying saying Hlaudi Motsoeneng must stay because the SABC has "a good story to tell" and that they don't care whether he has a matric or not.

The Generations cast was fired on Monday by the SABC and MMSV Productions following a second strike the united actors embarked on since last Monday.

The dismissal of the principal Generations cast has sent shockwaves through South Africa's television industry.

Generations ranks as the most watched TV show in South Africa with an average of 7.5 million viewers every weeknight, is the most watched soap, the most lucrative TV show of the SABC and commands a price of R200 000 per 30 second ad spot during its 20:00 primetime timeslot.

It was the Generations cast's second strike in 10 months at the SABC1 soap over exactly the same issues of wanting three year contracts from the SABC as it was promised in 2013, better paying contracts, as well as back payment for rebroadcasts and international sales of the show - all issues that the SABC promised to give attention but failed to do.

"The ANC has requested the intervention of the ministers of communications and labour in the dispute," says ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa in a statement.

"Minister of communications Faith Muthambi will be meeting with the SABC to understand the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of these workers," says the ANC in the statement.

""We thus call for a speedy and amicable resolution of the current impasse between the two parties in the interest of fair labour practice based on mutual respect for each other's crafts and imperatives".

An angry backlash is building and growing against the beleaguered SABC and the Generations producers from South African actors and celebrities voicing their opinions following the wholesale firing of the Generations cast on SABC1 on Monday by the SABC and executive producer Mfundi Vundla from MMSV Productions on Monday.

The former Generations actor and now Hollywood star Fana Mokoena who played Doctor Mandla Sithole during the 1990s on the SABC's most watched show, criticised the dismissal of the actors, saying its an industry wide problem.

Fana Mokoena said that actors need to stand together in general, to be represented by a solid actors' representative body.

TV and radio presenter Mark Pilgrim said on Twitter that he would much rather have the money from his TV licence that he has to pay to the SABC go towards actor's salaries, instead of the huge salary of the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

On Tuesday 702 radio talk show host Redi Tlhabi said "basically there will be no soapie without these people."

"Why is it that a soapie star from another part of the world will become a multi-millionaire from their acting? Do we treat our actors with the same respect?"

"We've had stories of South African actors dying as paupers like Henry Cele [in Shaka Zulu, now being shown on SABC3 again]. We're told he died a very, very poor man. Are we in 2014 - what this is about?"

SABC2's Muvhango drama queen Rami Chuene chimed in on Twitter: "The most popular show without the popular stars? The longest running show without the longest serving actors? The most income generating show without incoming generating actors?"

South Africa's minister of sport, Fikile Mbalula, also chimed in.

"You can't just dismiss people en masse when they demand more pay. This is super exploitation. We can't associate ourselves with exploitation. This can't be right. I can feel it in my blood. Somebody somewhere is getting away with murder. No ways. The Generations situation can't be okay."

"Lets speak out and put a stop to this. Those who say actors are not vulnerable, they don't know the industry. It's for this very reason that they can't be dismissed like this," said Fikile Mbalula on Twitter.

TV and radio presenter Zuraida Jardine said on Twitter that South Africa's actors need to be paid their worth and be treated well. "It's time. Fair is Fair! Networks need to start celebrating actors too".

"The most popular show without the popular stars? asked actress and presenter Faye Peters.

"I wonder if a mine boss or a corporate CEO spoke about workers like Mfundi Vundla or the SABC do about actors on Generations," remarked radio host Gareth Cliff on Twitter.

The South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) responded on Tuesday following the wholesale firing of the Generations cast on SABC1 on Monday by the SABC and MMSV Productions, saying the guild "stands in solidarity with colleagues who have valid grievances and offers its support in pursuing appropriate channels for redress".

The Generations cast was fired on Monday following a second strike the united actors embarked on since last Monday.

It was the Generations cast's second strike in 10 months at the SABC1 soap over exactly the same issues of wanting three year contracts from the SABC as it was promised in 2013, better paying contracts, as well as back payment for rebroadcasts and international sales of the show - all issues that the SABC promised to give attention but failed to do.

"The South African Guild of Actors profoundly regrets recent developments in the dispute between the cast of Generations, the producer and the SABC," says SAGA.

"Some of the issues raised publicly by members of the Generations cast are the subject of current negotiations between SAGA, the SABC and the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO)."

"These include a transparent process for calculating actors' compensation where programmes are sold to other territories, to which the broadcaster has agreed, and a standardised schedule of minimum rates which, it is proposed, will be renegotiated every three years".

"It is important to note that as independent contractors, actors cannot claim protection under labour law and should not be misled by advice to the contrary," says SAGA.

"It must be stressed that there are substantive benefits to be had as independent contractors and actors need to be better informed in order to make the most of these".

"The South African Guild of Actors is dedicated to improving working conditions for actors together with adequate compensation and the necessary benefits. The Guild continues to strive to create a unified and powerful voice for all actors in South Africa," says SAGA.

About Me

is an independent TV critic, writer and journalist in South Africa and reports breaking news about the TV industry. He writes trend and analysis pieces about the TV business and continues to write extensively about TV - chronicling what's on it and happening behind the scenes.